Kowloon arts hub needs new boss 'and new purpose'
Chief Secretary urged to set out clear vision for the cultural district amid criticism that young artists and the public no longer buy into the concept
With the exit of Michael Lynch, the West Kowloon Cultural District must brace itself for problems that can't be resolved by money alone.
There is the overblown budget hit by ever-surging construction costs and the delayed express rail link and its domino affect on construction work - but more serious still is the lack of vision and the development's disconnection with the city.
Critics are calling on the arts hub's chairwoman, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, to set clear goals for the district so that Lynch's successor can link the project in with Hong Kong's overall cultural development and see beyond constructing a collection of buildings.
The hub has now lost two CEOs in four years - Briton Graham Sheffield walked out after five months in 2011 and Lynch, an Australian, who announced his resignation yesterday.
Oscar Ho Hing-kay, art critic and director of the MA programme in cultural management at Chinese University, said West Kowloon should now look for a candidate who is familiar with Hong Kong, particularly its cultural and political environments.
"It doesn't necessarily have to be a Chinese person," said Ho, adding that the successor must have a clear and holistic vision for the arts hub. "It's not just one building after another."